Should minimum salary be $1,000 per month in Pakistan? Supreme Court to decide

A citizen has filed a petition with the Supreme Court, Lahore Registry, seeking the establishment of a minimum monthly salary of $1,000 for all workers across Pakistan.

The petition, which names Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and all federal ministers as respondents, highlights the growing economic challenges faced by workers amid rising inflation and living costs.

Currently, Pakistan’s minimum wage is set at Rs 37,000 per month, a figure the petitioner argues is insufficient to meet basic living expenses. The petition points out that Pakistan has approximately 3.2 million government employees, while the private sector employs an estimated 80 million people. The petitioner contends that raising the minimum wage to $1,000 per month would significantly boost citizens’ purchasing power and improve their standard of living.

The application also calls for immediate amendments to Pakistan’s labor laws to address the growing wage gap. It requests that the Supreme Court mandate the nationwide implementation of a $1,000 minimum wage and revoke the existing minimum wage notification of Rs 37,000.

The petition has sparked widespread attention, as it seeks to tackle long-standing concerns about wage disparities and the financial well-being of millions of workers. The Supreme Court, Lahore Registry, is expected to review the application in the coming days.